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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27139645">The Third 'S'</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c'>sanctum_c</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Renegade Endless Summer 2019 - Aeris x Cloud Flavour [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beach Holidays, Beaches, Bikinis, Clothing, Costa del Sol (Compilation of FFVII), Day At The Beach, Embarrassment, F/M, Flirting, Hot Weather, Implied/Referenced Sex, Light-Hearted, Mentioned Tifa Lockhart, Mid-Canon, Missing Scene, Nervousness, Not Before Crisis (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Compilation of Final Fantasy VII Compliant, Not Crisis Core (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Dirge of Cerberus (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Final Fantasy VII Remake Compliant, POV Aerith Gainsborough, Romance, Swimming, Swimsuits, Top Aerith Gainsborough</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2019-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2019-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:55:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,016</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27139645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Aeris was on the verge of conceding defeat when she found him. Must be boiling in the uniform, heavy sword still slung across his back. He should cool off. Get him to the swimwear shop and into something more exposing. “Cloud?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>He glanced around, eyes widening, face flushing and he gazed into her eyes with an odd intensity. A twitch; he was fighting the impulse to look down. She smiled. “A-Aeris?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I was looking for you.” She glanced to the beach, carefully not looking at him. He met her gaze when she looked back; she took a step closer. “I wanted to know if you would like to come swimming with me?” He glanced away; she leant forward.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Swimming?” Nervous hitch to his voice.</i>
</p><hr/><p>Avalanche take a break at Costa del Sol. Aeris realises there is an opportunity for sun, sea and-</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Renegade Endless Summer 2019 - Aeris x Cloud Flavour [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179911</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Third 'S'</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the prompt '“Rumor has it I make you nervous.”'</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Costa del Sol was hotter than any place Aeris had ever been. Sweat beaded on her skin when she stepped off the cargo ship to a sight only ever glimpsed on TV. A cloudless, blue sky. Clear waters only deepening to blue far out from the beach. Golden sands. The warm salt air. She shrugged off her jacket in the heat. This was a place to wear as little as possible, to go swimming, to enjoy the light on her skin.</p><p>Back in Midgar, only on the clearest days had anything like this made it to Aeris’s skin – and on those occasions only if she happened to be on the Upper Plate. To live here, to have the bright sun every-day. Glorious. Absolutely glorious. Yuffie asked the question before she could; why not take a break here? Why not enjoy this place and all the opportunities it availed them of?</p><p>The group quickly formed an agreement. Something to refresh them, to help move past recent dark memories. Not simply Sephiroth, but Junon, Midgar and all their fallen comrades. They would stay for a few days – assuming the money held out. Aeris wondered aloud about getting a tan; a number of people tanning on the wide-strip of beach between the town and the ocean.</p><p>Tanning was not something Aeris had opportunity to acquire previously. This was not strictly true; any number of shabby shops in the slums where one could acquire artificial tans. Whether by colouring skin or by lying close to specially designed lights, neither method appealed to Aeris. It was a status symbol, or at least pretensions of having such a status symbol, but given so many knew of the existence of such establishments who was fooled? Enough – or a sufficient number felt it was enough – to make the result worth the hassle. Tanned people in the slums and out of the sunlight; perhaps they could pretend they were not as trapped in Midgar as the rest and their tans resulted from spending time in places like this.</p><p>Cloud was looking at her after her comment. Had it piqued his interest? So far she had two out of three; sun and sea. If Cloud expressed interest, perhaps the third ‘S’ could be had too. Tifa wanted to hit up the beach too and together they hurried to the town, each step bringing them closer to cooler clothes – and the opportunity to go into the ocean.</p><p>The sports store seemed to stock every conceivable variety of swim-wear; from basic and unrevealing one-pieces used by professionals to scraps of cloth held together with dental floss. Wait, this one seemed to adhere directly to skin, so- As warm and stifling as outside was in her long dress, there were limits. Parading around effectively naked was best done with much more select company.</p><p>Slow to realise why Tifa insisted on the dark, professional-style one-piece, with the highest neckline. Despite proximity when changing in shared rooms, Tifa had kept her injury - her scar - hidden, always turning away or changing in the bathroom. An all too recent pained reminder of how the injury arose.</p><p>Aeris was sympathetic but as thin as Tifa’s swimsuit was, she could not bear the thought of so much coverage. She settled on a floral patterned bikini. More covering than the dental floss monstrosity, but with a good amount of skin exposed to soak up the sun. Some areas would not see the sun still – oh. That was the reason for the floss bikini. Some internal debate. The third 'S' was by no means guaranteed. Even if she did wear so little. But would a prospective partner care about tan-lines? She dismissed the thought and settled on the bikini.</p><p>Two sarongs and sun-cream and they were set. The store let them change; Tifa and Aeris stepped foot out into the Costa del Sol sun once more. Much better. And Cloud was nowhere in sight. “I’m going to go swimming?” Tifa headed for the beach. “You want to join me?”</p><p>Another glance around. No sign of him – or at least not on the beach. “Maybe in a bit. Just going to get the lie of the land first.” Tifa nodded and hurried on. Barret had settled onto the beach, his sailor uniform easily catching her glance. Looked like he was guarding things. Was Cloud swimming? None of the swimmers seemed to have blond hair. Tifa chatted to Barret and headed onto the sea.</p><p>The water was so inviting. A quick look for Cloud and she would join Tifa in the water. The sun felt so good on her skin though she was getting hotter and hotter out here. Nanaki slumbered in the shade nearby- and was Yuffie running a souvenir stand? She waved to Aeris and went right back to serving her current customer. Something of a surprise.</p><p>On the verge of conceding defeat when there he was. Must be boiling in the uniform, heavy sword still slung across his back. He should cool off. Get him to the swimwear shop and into something more exposing. “Cloud?”</p><p>He glanced around, eyes widening, face flushing and he gazed into her eyes with an odd intensity. A twitch; he was fighting the impulse to look down. She smiled. “A-Aeris?”</p><p>“I was looking for you.” She glanced to the beach, carefully not looking at him. He met her gaze when she looked back; she took a step closer. “I wanted to know if you would like to come swimming with me?” He glanced away; she leant forward.</p><p>“Swimming?” Nervous hitch to his voice.</p><p>“Tifa’ll be there too. Just thought you looked hot.” A pause. “And needed to cool off.” He flushed a deeper red.</p><p>“Yes. I’ll come. Swimming.”</p><p>“Great!” She took his hand. “Let’s get you some trunks.” She tugged at his hand he followed. A quick, simple intimacy. She let go when they reached the shop. “I’ll meet you in the water when you’re done.” How often had his gaze slipped? Enough. She might make him nervous, but at least his interest was clear. The third 'S' was completely possible.</p>
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